PowerBuilder History - How Did It Evolve?

In 2003, SilverStream was bought by Novell where Dave Litwack still resides. Kim Sheffield has left Novell and is now the principle owner of fyiReporting Software LLC. (www.fyireporting.com/company.html). He has an interesting reporting product written in C# that could be plugged into a PB application (what goes around...). Since I really respect Kim as a developer, it's interesting to see that he has abandoned Java for the .NET world. Maybe Sybase should keep an eye on key developers like Kim as they reflect current trends in the market place (my $0.02 worth). Dave is now a senior VP and general manager at Novell in charge of the Identity Driven Products Group (www.novell.com/company/bios/litwack.html). Bill Rabkin, who left Sybase for Rational, but no longer works there after the IBM merge, is now a WorldServer product evangelist with Idiom Technologies.

Episode V - PowerBuilder Strikes BackDuring the PowerSoft/Sybase merge, however, the "tools innovation" direction of PowerSoft was lost (I believe due to the "Server" product mentality at the senior management level). But recently, we can see the recommitment to PowerBuilder in the form of PB 10, 11, etc., the long-term "blueprint" for PB 12.0, the downturn of Java (new statistics for the last two years stated that 60% of all U.S. companies that started a Java project last year canned it), introduction of the PocketBuilder product to address the Windows CE (Pocket PC) direction, etc.

CIO, CTO & Developer Resources

Interestingly enough the PocketBuilder product development is headed up by Reed Shilts (a long time PowerBuilder guru) and John Griffin - from the original Cullinet days and a native Ottawan - still adding some great Canadian content to the PB product line. The iAnyWhere division of Sybase (old WATCOM) subsidiary here in Waterloo, Canada, is turning out some great new products lately and is still producing what I refer to as the best small to medium-sized DBMS available in the market today. Maybe this is a real key turning point to the development refocusing efforts that I have seen lately at Sybase (but that's another story).

Chris Pollach is a Senior Consultant with over 30 years experience in Systems and Software Analysis, Development, Maintenance and Technical Support, mainly in the areas of GUI Design, MS-Windows Programming, Java / .NET Programming, Wireless, Application / Web Server Design & Programming, Object Oriented Development Tools and Methodologies, Data Base, Data Communications and Network application development. He has participated in numerous technical, planning and management roles, as well as consulted and educated in these fields for a diverse clientele. He is also the owner of “Software Tool & Die Inc.” a company dedicated to provide custom software and education solutions on Object Oriented business systems.

As an educator, Chris is certified to teach PowerBuilder (first in Canada), MS-SQLServer, Sybase’s Enterprise Application Studio and EAServer integrated application/web development environment. He is former Certified SilverStream developer (CSSD) and current Certified PowerBuilder Developer – Associate / Professional (CPD-P) as well as a Certified Sybase Tools Instructor (CSI).

Chris has written numerous articles in various popular personal computer magazines, newsletters and is the author of the PowerGuide and PowerExpert products as well as the STD Foundation Classes. Currently, Chris has developed a Foundation Class library for Sybase's PocketBuilder, SAP's PowerBulder and EAServer products and now Appeon Web & mobile products that integrates JSP or ASP web development, Section 508 / CLF web standards and mobile applications. A new Web Service framework has also been released for IIs to support PowerBuilder based web service NVUO's!

Chris recently became a 2nd Degree Black in the TaeKwonDo martial art and has developed a Martial Art multimedia study guide using the Component-One “Doc2Help” and Sybase PowerBuilder products. Since the fall of 2004 he became a TaeKwonDo instructor for the City of Ottawa’s Goulbourn program. He has also been certified with the World TaeKwonDo Federation (February 2005 - 1st Dan and October 2008 - 2nd Dan).

Chris was awarded the Sybase “Innovation and Achievement” award for 2005 as voted for by the International Sybase User Group (ISUG). This award was presented for innovations to the PocketBuilder mobile development product, contributions to the PowerBuilder News groups and support of the Ottawa Sybase User Group.

To round his management and leadership skills, Chris is the former president of the Kiwanis Club of Goulbourn and still volunteers his time with the service clubs in his area. He is also the coordinator of the Ottawa Sybase User group and a certified NAUI scuba instructor. For the last three years, Chris has been voted onto the ISUG Board of Directors and holds the position of "Director - North American User Groups".

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